Saffrons Blog

Would you like a pattern or a kit for this quilt?

Scout celebrated her 1st birthday. She was born at 32 weeks a premi baby, uuh she had us all worried. So tiny. But she is indeed a battler and has a huge personality. We are so proud.

Well done to Mum my lovely friend Rani! Congratulations you did it she is one!

I thought to celebrate I should make her a cape for her 1st birthday. The pattern is found in Make it Perfect pattern book. It took me an hour or so to cut out and to make, it uses Pink Dandelions and Magic Spots. Which you can buy here.

Isn't Scout a cracker?

I have never shared my love of books before. I don't know why.
It is a real joy and a privilege for me to own such beautiful books. To thumb through the pages and see all the amazing talent in the world. I always enjoy adding to my design library. I suppose when I heard of Angus and Robertson going into receivership last week I felt compelled to encourage you to buy books from your local book shop because if we don't they simply won't be there in the future, I am lucky enough to have a Berkelouw book shop up the road that has some great books.

As a designer I  sometimes get stuck with a design. Patrick is an amazing art director, he can see where my design is not working and give me constructive criticism, I nearly always feel a sense of relief to have that pointed out to me. Then other times I want to push a design that bit further and I find myself looking for inspiration in books about illustration. Because pushing and refining and knowing when to stop makes for a good design. Books are also a way to be in touch with the creative world.

Here are a four of the 10 design books I have treated myself to this year. 

Prints and Pattern by Bowie Style is a a-z collection of surface designers around the world with a blurb attached to each set of illustrations. The book follows on from her terrific blog from where she is based in London. It is nice to have all the surface designs housed in one book. Below are a few of the numerous works from the book that I find most  inspiring. It is a good book to flick through, a few of the illustrators come form Australia.

Patterns by Drusilla Cole,  is quite diverse and so cool. How about the illustration on the bottom left which is all threads. If I would have handed that in at Uni I would have been asked to trim the threads maybe even given a fail, trimming threads is not my strong point. I love the colours in the top right design.

This is one of my most thumbed books, probably as it is so creative, so free so diverse and so me.

Orla Kiely's book Pattern is a must own if you are a designer, manufacturer, lover of fashion. Orla has been a visiting lecturer at the RCA and Chelsea College of Art and owns a chain of stunning boutiques. When I was in London last I discovered her Covent Garden store and was in raptures how gorgeous  it is. She is just amazing, Not only is this book great eye candy but I have read it cover to cover a few times now. Orla Keily was recently awarded an OBE. This book has also helped me to photograph my products better as she explains what she looks for in a photo shoot.

Often I look at design books for solutions to a design, how to fill a space, or end a stem for example. The fourth book Illusive - Contemporary Illustration has helped me to find a way to push my designs. There are three books in this series, we own two now. This book has about 20 bookmarks in it for me to look at and find inspiration. It covers all forms of illustration even a chapter called "towards painting". Yum, Yum, Yum. It is also the most pricey book but I am sure it will still be relevant in a decade.

Books books books. Love them, need them. I have always gotten in trouble for reading!
"You are not listening to me!"
 "Nope I am lost in this world, It's so wonderful!"

"But Mum everyone has a blue plastic one."
"You are not having a blue plastic one. I am going to make you one. So which fabrics shall I use? You can choose."
"Can I have three? Can you make it stripey and put this one at the bottom, this one in the middle and this one at the top?"
"I will see what I can do!"

Wonder what she will say? Better than the pillow case I sent her with last week.

The cushions come in 3 sizes and they're professionally sewn up with a side zipper. Fully machine washable and you have a choice of feathers or polyester inserts.

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For my niece's fifth birthday I stretched a piece of Magical Lands fabric over a canvas to decorate her bedroom.

I eavesdropped on my five year old's conversation with the birthday girl—"You will have to imagine the fairies. I am sure they would like to live there and there and there (pointing at the canvas). Though I think Mummy really should have added some glitter."